Page Chasers 3, Who's March and Who's Mad?
by GreenWallsOfArt
Summary: Richard Tyler is sick of Pi Day, so he takes a journey into the literary world of March Madness itself, bringing along a new friend for the ride.
1. Pi Day Madness

**Chapter 1**

In crossing the front lobby of the humongous library, Richard Tyler stomped his feet almost furiously. His steps echoed through the vast building, and his soles squeaked loudly. It was raining outside, so it didn't make for the prettiest day. And it certainly didn't help that Richard was staggering under the weight of the homework he carried at his side in his book bag.

Stumbling past the front desk, where the librarian, Mr. Dewey, greeted him with an enthusiastic grin, Richard reached into his bag and pulled out a large silver object, passing it to his other hand to balance out the heavy load. It dangled from a long silver chain, swinging like a pendulum while he stomped across the floor.

Most of the people he walked past- two or three at the most- looked up at Richard while his shoes made mice-like sounds on the wooden floor. He didn't pay any attention, instead only collapsing into a chair when he plopped his bag down from his aching shoulder.

Heaving a deep sigh, Richard lifted up the silver object in his hand, and flipped open a lid. What he saw before him was the marble face of a compass, but when he turned that over, it was now a clock. The intricate black hands didn't tick. They just stared back at Richard from their marble surface like a three-dimensional painting.

"Geez," Richard sighed. "I would take a day in the day world over five hours of homework any day." He grumbled softly, leaning back into the red plush upholstery. "Aye! Pi Day used to be so much fun." He then reached into his bag and took out a worn-out yellow pocket folder that had worksheets falling out of it. They slipped into his lap, and long word problems glared back at Richard.

Richard grumbled once more. It was March 14th, so his teacher had made a ridiculous claim to making Pi Day a day of working out math problems, instead of pigging out on pie and cookies and cake like all the other classes did. While complicated problems continuously came up on the overhead screen, Richard could hear the other classes giggling and screeching while they scrambled for the first slice of yummy pie.

It wasn't that Richard didn't like math- he just didn't enjoy taking too much at once, and not being able to have fun with it like the other classes. It was Pi Day after all- it would have been nice to have a slice of pie, and take it easy with a little class party.

So, Richard let his head fall into the back of his chair, and shut his eyes for a moment. A day full of nothing but math had been hard, and now, his teacher had "treated" his class to three worksheets of challenging math problems. Those sheets alone could take over three hours, over everything else he had to do.

Oh, boy, could he go for some pie now.

Or, maybe something else too…

Richard glanced around him, at the polished wooden tables, and the high shelves full of books. The fiction section was just beyond them. And what with the number of people here at the library now, his range of choice would be almost infinite.

Finally, Richard stuffed the folder back into his bag, and, tucking it into the corner behind his chair, picked up the silver compass. Quickly, he made his way towards the main lobby again, choosing a shelf to scour once he was there again. He didn't care much which part of the fiction section he ended up at, so long as he could find a book that the compass could easily work its magic on. And that was anything.

Turning a corner, he found the first shelves. At a leisurely pace, he began to scan the rows of books, running his finger along the spines, and readjusting his glasses every few minutes to better find the small titles.

But it wasn't too long before he turned to go into another aisle. He much anticipated looking at the next title, already pulling up his glasses to examine the books. But his eyes fell on something else.

At the other end of the shelf, a girl with thick, shimmery hair the color of roses, was reaching up to take a book from the shelf. She lifted the book so that her long, slightly-pointed nose stuck into the pages, and then she took her face back out, grinning curiously.

"Hey, Chloe!" Richard called before he could think to stop himself.

Chloe snapped her head up to look at Richard, and she closed her book with her thumb between the pages. "Oh, hi, Richard," she said demurely. "Good to see you."

"You too," Richard added timidly.

Chloe held her book to her chest, smiling. "So, can I help you find something?" she asked, gesturing to the shelf beside her.

"I don't know," Richard answered with a shrug. "I'm just looking for a good book. I've had a long day."

"I know how you feel," Chloe said. "Pi Day! Ugh. I mean, I do love pie. But I can't stand those really hard challenge problems they give you in school." She turned around in a quick twirl, and grinned further. "It's good to be home, in the library."

"You can say that again," Richard sighed. Chloe giggled.

"Anyway," Chloe began, "about that book. I think, if you want a good escape from things that don't make sense, why not take a little adventure into Wonderland?"

Richard did a double take. "_You're_ not making any sense," he answered.

Chloe shook her head, making an amused sound through her teeth. "_Alice in Wonderland _is a different kind of nonsense. It's not like you're working with numbers right and left. It's about riddles and strange creatures. For me, at least, it makes me laugh, rather than twist my brain up."

"I don't know," Richard said, shrugging helplessly.

"Come on, trust me," Chloe said. "And, besides, it's March. It means March Madness. I think it works out rather well."

"Maybe too well," Richard murmured.

"Oh, now don't be a pessimist. Follow me!"

Chloe turned the corner of the shelf, and paused at each one to observe the author markers on the sides. Finally, her lips turned upright, and she walked into that shelf, coming out seconds later with an old leather-bound copy of _Alice in Wonderland_.

"Here," she said. "Try it out."

"Well…okay," Richard said, taking the book from Chloe. "Thanks. I guess I'll be going now."

Once he had turned around, Richard smirked at her choice of story. He wasn't sure this would work out, but he still held the compass high in his other hand, while he turned into another aisle.

He opened up to the first page, and laid the book flat on the floor. Flipping open the compass, he placed it in top of the binding.

The pages stuck to the compass, and the words on the paper shimmered. The silver exterior was shining an icy blue, as little sparkles of fairy dust danced about. Jagged white lines spread around the floor by the book, like spider-webs, while the arrow on the compass face ticked like a clock hand, halting at the "N", that pointed north.

Richard prepared to jump into the book, spreading his legs apart to go.

"Richard, wait up!" Chloe called abruptly. "I forgot to mention something…"

Before Richard could move, the compass's magnetic pull already snagged him, pulling him in. And above the gentle hiss of the magic, he heard footsteps clopping into the aisle.

"Oh! Richard!"

Richard whipped his head behind him, and saw Chloe struggling against the force of the compass's magic. But it was too late to give her a hand in escaping. They both stood inches from being pulled into the book.

In fact, the world was already going dark, the icy glow from the compass disappearing, and Chloe's startled voice fading away.


	2. Into the Garden

**Chapter 2**

Richard stayed absolutely still while the light came back to the world. He waited before he reached for the compass in the dark, and while it roped itself into his hands, he heard Chloe gasp loudly near him.

"Richard, where are you?" she asked. Richard's heart skipped a beat; Chloe actually didn't sound very afraid. Just confused, it seemed, while they stood in the black.

"I'm over here, follow the compass," he said, while the compass glowed a gentle yellow. And then, when Chloe's hand was silhouetted against the light, the glow changed to the glare of sunlight, as the world returned around them.

Chloe staggered a little on her feet, but she appeared unharmed. "Wow, what a ride," she said softly. And once more, she shocked Richard with how unafraid she was. He remembered the first time he had ever gone into a book world, how he thought he might be trapped there for good, and that he would be eaten alive by uneaten forces. Especially in a dim hallway such as this, there was no telling what was hiding behind the walls. And yet, Chloe remained as confident as though she were walking into a strange, but somewhat familiar, place.

But Richard didn't ask much about such things. Instead, he glanced around a second time, and observed where they had landed. When he finally looked down, he noticed that he and Chloe were standing in a heap of leaves and twigs below a long, dark hole in the ceiling.

Chloe, too, seemed to be trying to see where they should go from where they were. They were now in the middle of a long hallway, lit from above by chandeliers, and doors lining the walls. There appeared to be no way out, and this only made Richard further question Chloe's choice into giving him _Alice in Wonderland _in the first place. In fact, he gave her the same look he would give to someone who had told him a stupid riddle with an even more stupid answer.

"What were you thinking?" he asked her at last.

Chloe tucked some hair behind her ear, and looked around the hall in one motion. "Okay," she said. "Seeing as we are now inside the world of Wonderland, the only thing to do is follow what Alice did."

"Talk to the doorknobs?" Richard asked, a little sarcastically.

"No," Chloe said. "There's got to be a key around here somewhere. On a table, maybe. And a drink, of some sort."

Richard then followed Chloe as she turned around again, this time facing a three-legged table in the exact center of the hall. She stepped towards it, and plucked a little golden key from the glass surface. Without hesitation, she turned her attention towards a long curtain that covered a substantial part of the wall. She walked to the curtain, lifted it away, and then stuck the key into the wall, pushing her hand into it so that bright sunlight filtered into the room. Richard strained his glasses for a better look; in the wall, there was a door no taller than the average doll. But the door was thin enough that Chloe couldn't stick her head through.

She turned her head. "Richard, get that bottle on the table," she said.

"What?" Richard asked.

"Drink from that bottle," Chloe clarified. "Leave some for me, 'cause we both need to shrink small enough to get through this door."

Richard did as he was told, and reached for the glass bottle on the table where the key had been. He took note of the "Drink Me" tag attached to the bottle, and, with a shrug, took a sip. He clicked his tongue a few times to decide on the flavor, because it seemed very mixed to him- like pineapple, and buttered toast. It was a strange taste, before he felt a curious tingling sensation all over his skin, and everywhere inside him.

All at once, the hall seemed to heighten, as if Richard were going down in a glass elevator. But the feeling of shrinking made him feel like his body had fallen asleep, so he stumbled a little when he recognized that he was shrinking, grabbing the chain of the floating compass. The chain flared hot for a moment in surprise, but grew cold when it was pulled all the way down with Richard to the floor.

At this height, Richard had to run a good deal just to get to the door, which had been abandoned since Chloe went to get her share of the magic drink. Followed by the compass, he pulled open the door to see beyond. He smirked a little when he noticed the short passage behind the door, but once he had gone far enough, his face glowed with awe.

He walked forth into a splendid area of green grass and colorful flowerbeds. Intricately cut shrubbery lined the garden, decked with tall poles with hearts at the top. The sky above was absolutely blue, without a cloud in sight. The place was rather quiet too, except, in a moment, Richard jumped when a hedgehog scurried across his path. And he could have sworn he also heard some squawking nearby; in fact, the compass tapped him with its chain, and pointed off towards a tall flamingo mingling among the flowerbeds.

"Whoa," Richard murmured, surprised at seeing such creatures living in so fine a place. The compass also turned a few times, as if it were a head glancing around at the grand beauty of everything.

He then heard a gentle snapping of the grass behind him, as Chloe stepped out from the doorway.

"Oh, boy, if only Alice had it that easy," she said, closing the door ajar behind her, while she walked up beside Richard and the compass. "But, isn't it beautiful, Richard?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. Pretty," Richard agreed.

Chloe nodded, flicking her eyes in each direction to observe the springy details of the garden. "Why don't we explore a little?" she offered, gesturing around her. "I'm sure no one will mind if we stay here a little."

"Unless the Queen of Hearts catches us first," Richard said, a tad uncertainly.

Chloe shook her head. "Relax, Richard," she said, stepping over to a flowerbed to observe the clusters of white roses. "Nothing's going to happen. And if it does, we'll just ask your magic compass to take us back."

Richard looked at the compass, who looked back at him, glowing a dark grey. It lifted its chain like a shrug, and Richard mimicked it. He gave Chloe another unsure expression, and tentatively followed her further into the garden.

He followed her to the same white roses, and touched their tiny petals. It was kind of relaxing to him, to touch the soft silk of the roses. But somehow, Richard found himself laughing to himself. He knew of some versions of _Alice in Wonderland _where a group of card soldiers painted these white roses red. He rubbed the petals harder between his fingers the more he thought of feeling painted flowers. He didn't know why anyone would want that for such pretty things, but then, he figured maybe it was the twisted logic of Wonderland. He stole another smirk at Chloe when he thought of that.

Still, even the compass seemed to like being around the flowerbeds. It flew through the clusters, turning different colors as if to mimic theirs. And Richard couldn't help but give the silver compass a funny look. He knew the compass to be like a tightly wound clock, but he had never seen it so joyful. It actually reminded him of his old book friend, Horror, when he had first arrived in the fantasy section, and how he laughed like a little kid while prancing among the flowers. Richard finally chuckled, watching the compass while it flew like a bird from flowerbed to flowerbed.

Chloe laughed from behind Richard, and she stepped up next to him, carrying a tiny rosebud in her palm. "I didn't think a compass could be so happy," she noted. "It's kind of like a little kid."

"Not really," Richard said. "That thing is usually like a gruff old grandpa."

"Then maybe you should bring it here more often," Chloe whispered.

"Maybe, but…" Richard let his voice trail off, fixing Chloe with a questioning gaze. "I've been meaning to ask you about this. How is it you're not scared about being here, in the world of books, when…?"

A loud trumpet sounded from just beyond the garden, cutting Richard off short.

Then he and Chloe watched while a long parade of card-like people marched in twos. A large group of little ones danced in between them, laughing and screeching, all covered with hearts. And finally, after the entire parade passed, there marched a couple, ornately dressed in hearts and gold and red. The man looked a little stuffy, while the woman was fixing everything she saw with a tight glare. Her lips were tightened on her face so that they made a little heart shape.

At the sight of this uptight couple, the compass scrambled out of the flowerbeds, and pulled itself back into Richard's grip, like a dog on a leash. Its glow was dark, while it kept itself low to the ground.

Richard whispered to Chloe, "Maybe we should get down on our knees or something."

"And I think you're right," she whispered back, getting down on the ground. She bent her head to the grass, so that her hair spread out around her. Richard was careful not to snag her hair while he got down beside her, his arms shaking with the inevitable about to happen.

"Who is this?" a screechy voice said, not too much later.

Answer, came there none.

"Idiots!" the voice screeched again. "Come on, you two, get up!"

Scrambling, both Richard and Chloe got to their feet, and straightened themselves quickly; Richard took a second longer to straighten his collar, and hide the compass behind his back.

He had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out at the frightful glare of the Queen of Hearts in front of him. Chloe was straight too, although Richard noticed her struggling to keep a stick-like posture, while the Queen stared her down.

"What's your names, children?" she asked. It was more of a sneer, really.

"I'm Chloe," Chloe said, bending over respectfully.

"I'm R-Ri-Richard," he stuttered.

"Don't stammer, you'll make me tired!" the Queen sighed dramatically.

Richard expected Chloe to speak up against the Queen, but she didn't say anything. He and Chloe looked at each other, looking a little shaken to be in the presence of someone who could have them executed in seconds.

"Don't be so tight-lipped, you're wasting my time!" the Queen exclaimed.

"We don't mean to," Chloe said, bowing her head again. "You see, Your- Your Majesty- we came through a door, and we were just about to be on our way when your procession came through here."

"Yeah!" Richard blurted. "So, if you could let us go, we won't bother you anymore."

"Can you play croquet?" the Queen asked.

"What?" Richard and Chloe asked at the same time.

"Can…you…play…_croquet_?" the Queen screeched at them both.

"Yes, a little," Chloe answered first, very timidly.

"Not…exactly," Richard whispered, after a long moment of silence.

The Queen's face turned the same bright shade of scarlet as Chloe's hair, and pointed furiously at Richard's nose. "Off with his head! Off with his head!"

The crowd started to move towards Richard, but both Chloe and the compass stepped between them.

"No!" Chloe shouted. "That's not fair!"

"If I say it, then it is fair!" roared the Queen.

"But you can't behead someone just for not knowing how to play a game," Chloe protested.

"Oh, come now, any idiot can play croquet!" said the Queen. "It's so easy."

"Well, how?" Richard piped up in a squeaky voice.

The Queen let out a screechy rasp, and put her hand on her hip. "Why, with flamingos and hedgehogs of course. The other royals do it with ballets and balls." She sighed, once more quite theatrically. "That's too hard! Using live flamingos and hedgehogs are a thousand times easier and simpler! My whole court thinks so!"

There was a collective murmuring among the procession, while the Queen stomped her feet. "On with the game!" she yelled.

The court scattered, going to fetch what they needed for the game. Richard and Chloe just stayed as they were, not knowing what they should do. They both looked at each other, but gradually, Chloe got a sparkle in her eye again.

"What are you thinking about?" Richard asked. The compass shot up, and cocked itself to the side, glowing dark grey and then getting brighter and brighter, facing Chloe.

"It's so simple, Richard," she said. "We'll just have to get out while everyone's trying to set up. The Queen won't notice; she'll be too busy severing people's heads off." She whispered the last part.

"It's- it's a fine day," a shy voice said shakily from below them.

Richard and Chloe looked down to see a white rabbit in a poncho ornamented with hearts standing below them. It was pricking its ears up and down, flicking its eyes tentatively around it.

"Hi," Chloe said. "Can we do something for you?"

"Just help us to prepare for the Queen's game," the White Rabbit replied.

"Get to your places!" the Queen shouted, and the game was quick to begin then.

"Looks like you already have," Richard whispered.

"Right then," said the White Rabbit. "Move along."

"I'll take that as our signal to go," Chloe said, starting to move behind the hedge at the perimeter of the garden. Richard was only too glad to oblige in following her, for he feared the Queen turning around at any given second and shouting for his head to be severed from his neck. The minute the thought struck him, he yanked on the compass's chain, and started after Chloe.

Chloe, who was already several yards down the hedge, stopped, wiping her forehead. "Phew," she whispered. "That was close."

Richard nodded, while the compass wilted to the ground from his hand. He picked it up again, and glanced behind him. He could hear the Queen's maniacal shouts of "Off with his head!" or "Off with her head!", but no one was coming around the corner after them.

"We should just go away from here," he said, "before someone finds us."

"You're too late," a voice said from nowhere in particular. "I already have."

Both Richard and Chloe gasped, bumping against each other in their first steps to moving away. "Who's there?" they asked.

Then, just inches away, there was a cat, though it didn't look like an ordinary cat. It was large and fat, with dark stripes covering its body, floating in midair like a ghost. It had cute little ears, and bright beady eyes, but most of all, a large and uncanny smile that stretched from one side of its face to the other.

"You're the Cheshire Cat!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Thank you," said the Cat, purring gently while it grinned brightly at her. "And you two are little children. And isn't it a beautiful day?"

"Can we go now?" Richard asked the Cat. "We're trying to move on, so, do you think we can talk later."

"No time like the present, as they say," the Cat said. "Although, I do suppose we can talk on the way."

The two children, the compass, and the Cat moved along the hedges, turning a few more corners, until they couldn't hear the Queen's shouting quite as much.

"How did you like the Queen?" the Cat asked, on the way.

"Should we even be answering that?" Richard said. "She shouldn't even be queen if she is always beheading people like some medieval madwoman."

"Well, do you think perhaps you can do any better?" the Cat wanted to know.

Richard shrugged.

"Precisely," said the Cat. "That's why I don't say that about the Queen. I'd hate to be Queen, or King."

"Is there anywhere you think we can go, where the Queen won't look for us?" Chloe wanted to know, looking up at the Cat.

"I know," answered the Cat. "Way off in that direction-" it pointed with one paw "-is a Hatter. And in that other-" it pointed with its other paw "-is a March Hare. Please. Do visit any one you like."

"Do you think you can come with us?" Chloe said. "Maybe they would like having you."

The Cat grinned, and laughed through its teeth. "I never get involved with the Hatter and the March Hare. I think it's amusing merely to watch them, and laugh at what new tricks they've learned from drinking tea from breakfast till dinner."

"Well…" Chloe shrugged helplessly. "Maybe we'll see you again soon, Cheshire Cat."

"You'll see me, rest assured," said the Cat, before disappearing into thin air.


	3. Maddening Tea Party

**Chapter 3**

Just after the Cheshire Cat disappeared, Richard and Chloe were all alone. A vast forest was spread before them, speckled with sunshine where the trees didn't cover the ground. Winding paths went here and there, with signs that said "Up", "Down", and "That Way", and all sorts of other useless phrases. Among them, there was a sign that pointed into the forest, stating "Mad Hatter" and another pointing in the opposite direction, saying "March Hare". The group considered their options, and the compass wagged its chain back and forth in confusion.

At last, Chloe stepped to the path that seemed to go towards the Mad Hatter, and just like before, Richard didn't hesitate to go down that path also.

It was quite a pleasant walk. Since the Queen of Hearts and her court weren't around, the only sounds were the tweeting of various birds, and the swishing of the leaves in the trees. Golden sunshine came between the branches, giving the forest a sweet, comforting glow. Richard took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of flowers that grew between the trees, and he relaxed his shoulders. Chloe seemed pretty carefree herself, getting into a kind of skipping step while she led the way into the forest. It was cute, because her loose hair bounced on the back of her shirt, shining like spun gold while she moved. Richard had to avert his gaze, as he was starting to remember why he had once crushed on her.

But soon enough, Chloe stopped, and pointed ahead.

"Look, Richard," she said. "There's the Mad Hatter's house, and the tea table."

Richard sure could. A huge tea table was set up under a tall tree, in front of a little house tucked between two clusters of trees and shrubbery. It looked very homey in the sunshine, and not to mention the many teapots and cakes set up around the table that made it look very merry indeed. But the only people at the table were a human sized hare, a hatter with a grand top hat, and a dormouse sitting between them.

"Come on," Chloe said, skipping down the little hill towards the tea table.

"No room! No room!" the Hatter cried when he saw Chloe coming down the hill.

"There's no room here!" the March Hare added, snapping his head back up from his tea.

"Don't mind us," Chloe said, putting her hands up. "My friend and I are here to see how you three are getting along."

"Ah," said the March Hare understandingly. "Well then, why don't you have some wine?"

"No thank you," said Chloe.

"Well good then," said the March Hare. "We didn't have some anyway."

"Then what was the point of offering it?" Richard wanted to know, as he stepped up by Chloe.

"What was the point of you barging in without an invitation?" the March Hare retorted.

"It was just as I said," said Chloe. "We don't mean to stay for very long. It's just a friendly service, you know- stopping by to see how you are doing today."

Richard nodded to further emphasize his friend's point.

"Then make yourselves presentable," said the Hatter at last. "And I would start by this: get your hair trimmed."

Chloe sucked in a little breath, and picked up a bunch of her hair to observe. She let it dangle from her fingers while she looked at it, finally letting it drop to her chest again.

"What was that for?" Richard angrily wanted to know.

"Why don't you sit down?" asked the Mad Hatter in response. "We've been here for hours, and no one has ever stopped by."

"To say hello, that is," added the March Hare.

"Well…er, no problem," Richard said with a helpless frown. He didn't feel very comfortable around this duo after they had just insulted Chloe. The compass mimicked his expression, glowing a dark pink in the direction of the Hare and the Hatter.

"You mean it is no problem to say hello," the Mad Hatter wondered aloud, "or that you have come here at this time?"

"Both, I guess," Richard said.

"Well then, why didn't you say so in the first place?" asked the Hatter.

"You could say 'I breathe when I sleep' is the same thing as 'I sleep when I breathe'," piped up the Dormouse, who startled Richard by talking so suddenly, and still while in his sleep.

Chloe sniffed. "Of course, it's the same thing with you," she noted. "You're always sleeping."

"Ah! One thing you've said right!" said the March Hare. "Oh, joy."

"What day is it, little girl?" the Hatter asked abruptly, taking out a little pocket watch, and shaking it like a handful of dice.

"It's the fourteenth of March," she answered.

"Oh!" gasped the Hatter like he had seen a ghost. "A fortnight wrong! Hare, I told you not to put butter in the works!"

"Oh, but it was the best butter," said the Hare.

"Take a look at it," the Hatter said, tossing the watch to the March Hare, although he sat just a chair down. The Hare shook it near his ear too, and then dunked it in his tea cup, yanking the chain up and down until he finally pulled it back out. "It was the _best _butter," he lamented, slamming it down onto the table with a _slam! _that made Richard and Chloe jump high in their seats.

The Mad Hatter shook his head, but suddenly, his eyes widened when he looked past Richard. He surprised Richard and Chloe yet again when he reached his arm all the way around the chairs, and plucked the compass from beside Richard's chair. The compass struggled to get free, but before the Hatter could bring it to his seat, the chain glowed red hot, and the Hatter yelped, while the compass flew free.

"Now _there's_ a clock that works!" the Mad Hatter exclaimed, grinning as wide as the Cheshire Cat.

The compass glowed dark pink, vibrating as if it were growling at the Mad Hatter.

The March Hare grabbed the floating chain of the compass like a child would to a balloon, but he couldn't touch it very quickly, before the silver flared hot again.

"Extraordinary!" exclaimed the March Hare. "Here, let me have a try at that watch." He spoke as if he just hadn't touched the thing that almost singed his fur off.

"It doesn't like to be touched like that," Richard explained.

"My watch doesn't mind when I take it by its chain," said the Hatter, retrieving the broken pocket watch from the table. "See? I don't see any complaints here."

"Well, I bet it's not alive," Chloe added, gesturing towards the pocket watch.

"I don't hear that one speaking words," the March Hare remarked. "Or breathing."

"So?" Richard said, frowning at the Hare.

"If I wasn't breathing, I couldn't sip my tea anymore, could I?" said the Hare. "Here, watch me." It took a deep breath, and didn't open its mouth for a long time.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" said the Mad Hatter after a moment of silence.

"They both can have black quills," Chloe answered without a second guess.

"What?" exclaimed the Hatter and the Hare, jumping up in their seats, and startling the Dormouse from its sleep so that it squeaked like a whistle. The Hatter let go of a teapot he had been pouring from, and it flew from his flying hand like a pebble. The light brown liquid splashed through the spout, splattering onto the face of the compass.

The liquid sizzled on the silver surface, and the compass began to shake, vibrating like a house in an earthquake. The lid flapped open, and the marble face of the compass flapped up and down speedily. The needles on the clock beneath the compass spun madly, flashing between black and white, and then to several more colors, before the lid snapped closed, and clunked down on the table.

The silver circle glowed no more.

Richard couldn't look away from the compass. It looked just like it did in the real world, but a lot more tarnished. In fact, the silver surface was starting to turn a brown red with rust, expanding like a virus across the top. Like an overstuffed box, the lid came open, and the marble surface dripped wet with the tea.

No one at the table spoke.

"What…did you say?" the Mad Hatter finally spoke up.

"Look at this!" Richard cried out, pointing at the dead compass. "Just look at what you did!"

"Calm down, Richard," Chloe said gently. "I know what we can-"

"Thanks to you, we're never going to get home!" he shouted at the Hatter. "Which is great! Just. Great!"

Richard shoved his chair out of the way, and grabbed the chain of the compass, not really thinking about the possibility of breaking it more. He stomped away into the trees, and kicked at the ground, slumping down against the trunk of one.

He picked up the compass, and lifted it before his eyes. He noted the rusting silver, and the dripping marble. The clock hands, and the needle of the compass, drooped like a loose pennant from a hook. Useless.

"Now what?" Richard asked, before he slumped his head into his knees and grumbled loudly. He was so lost in his misery at losing his magic guide to a couple of idiots, that he didn't hear Chloe push away her chair, and move towards his tree.


	4. Chloe's Secret

**Chapter 4**

In frustration, Richard bumped his head against his knees. In a matter of seconds, he felt his stomach drooping, and his heart getting sick. He felt like he had fallen into a great big hole, and no one was around to help him escape. What could he do now that his only guide, and way out of this place, was broken?

He forlornly lifted his face to the tea table down by the house. The Hatter and the Hare were laughing maniacally, and pouring tea into several more teacups, while the Dormouse snored between them. Chloe wasn't there anymore, but he felt sickened watching those three at the table. His face flushed with great dislike for them, as he looked between the table, and his poor compass.

"Hey, Rich," Chloe's gentle, motherly voice said. "It's okay."

"How?" Richard asked, looking up with despair at his friend. He gave the compass to Chloe, and she cradled it in her arms like a tender child. "Without that compass, Chloe, we can't get home. Without some miracle, we're stuck here!"

Chloe sat down beside Richard, putting her arms around her knees, and giving Richard her warmest expression. "Hey, it's not so bad," she said. "I know what we can do."

"What?" Richard grumbled, looking up from his lap.

"Yes, what can be done?" a playful voice asked from above them. Richard and Chloe looked up, and noticed the Cheshire Cat, showing off his prize-winning grin as was usual.

"Not now, Cheshire Cat," Richard said. "We've got a big problem on our hands."

"When there's a will, there's a way," the Cat said, pointing its paws in opposite directions. "And I'm fairly certain you two have a will to fix this problem. Am I right?"

"Well, yes, of course," Chloe answered. "But we don't need your help, Cheshire Cat. We know what we have to do."

Richard gave her a funny look, raising his shoulders anxiously. "We do? Er, _you _do?"

"Yes," Chloe said confidently.

"Well, no matter," said the Cat. "How did you like the Hatter, and the Hare?"

"I don't want to talk about that," Richard answered.

"I figured," murmured the Cat. "You know? Perhaps you should have struck up a deal with Time, as those two jokers did for a time. That way, your watch might not have been broken."

"It's not just a watch," Richard clarified. "And, I don't know what you mean."

"The Hatter and the Hare sang a dreadful song once, at a celebration of the Queen's," explained the Cat. "And, it was so dreadful, so absolutely horrid, that the Queen belted out, 'He's murdering the time! Off with his head!'"

"Yikes," Richard whispered.

"Right," agreed the Cat. "And since then, it's always six o'clock down by that tea table. No matter what instances they ask of Time, it never listens to them."

"I guess it's what they deserve," Richard said, pointing to his compass. "That Hatter spilled tea on this compass when they asked about that weird riddle."

The Cat opened its mouth in a long, loud laugh. It rolled around in the air like a dog on a rug, and curled its tail. "I'd know that riddle anywhere," it said. "They always say it doesn't have an answer. I suppose you claimed otherwise, little girl."

Chloe nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "That riddle's not supposed to have an answer, but I came up with that one on the spot."

The Cat clapped its paws, still smiling. "No one's answered that riddle for a long time," he remarked. "Maybe you ought to tell riddles at the Queen's court. She would love the entertainment."

Chloe shook her head.

The Cat nodded, chuckling. "Well, perhaps I'd best let you both go. I like to check in with the Hatter and the Hare, and see what laughs they'll make with the current moment." With its grin remaining for just seconds afterwards, the Cheshire Cat was gone.

Richard half-smiled to himself. He was glad the Cat had sympathized with him and Chloe, but he still didn't like that they had no immediate way of fixing the compass.

Unless…

"Chloe, what were you saying before?" he asked. "About knowing what we can do to get back home?"

"Easy," she replied. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a large golden pendant that hung from a very, very long chain. It was the same size and shape as the compass, so that it fit just inside her palm. There was a tiny window on the intricately designed front, through which a ticking clock could be seen. "With this."

Richard looked cocky-headed at the pendant in Chloe's hand. "I don't follow you."

"You want to go home right now, don't you?" Chloe asked.

Richard nodded his head vigorously.

"Then, here, I'll show you." Chloe flung the pendant around her neck, and handed a bit of the chain to Richard. She pressed a button on the top of the pendant, and it popped open. And slowly, the hands of the clock started to whirl, until they could not be seen at all. Chloe peered through the window in the lid, and Richard mimicked her.

Rather than lush gardens and sunlight through the window, Richard could see shelves of books and a few stragglers walking with books in their arms.

Before Richard could react, he got a feeling in his stomach like someone had shoved him in the opposite direction. Chloe moved the same way, spinning in circles on her feet. The world of Wonderland didn't spin with them, it just blurred like they were looking at it through a foggy window. Abruptly, Richard and Chloe were pushed into each other, as if closed in by a tight space, by the world melting all around them.

At last, the light went away, and slowly, the library came back into focus.

When the magic was over, Richard and Chloe stumbled back to their feet, while Chloe pulled the chain of her pendant from Richard's hand.

Richard bent over when he could stand properly again, and closed the copy of _Alice in Wonderland_. Then he stood back up, and faced Chloe.

"You didn't tell me you could go into books too," he said shortly.

"Sure," Chloe said. "Here, why don't we sit down somewhere and I can tell you about this?"

"Okay," Richard said, putting the book back on the shelf.

For the next few moments, Richard and Chloe moved through the aisles, and then sat down in the secluded corner where Richard's book bag still lay. Most everyone had left the library by now, so they didn't have to worry about being overheard.

When at last they were both seated, Chloe removed her pendant from her tight fist, and held it out for Richard to see.

"I got this pendant on my first birthday," she began. "I didn't really know what it was all about until I was much older. Although, a lot of times, my grandpa told me that this pendant helped make me an extraordinary girl. That, maybe, there was some kind of exciting venture waiting for me when I would find out what it was."

"When did you first go into a book?" Richard wanted to know.

"I was five years old," Chloe said. "I mean, I was read to from books from the time I was born, but I didn't really want to go into a book until I could pick one up and read it by myself. I had a book of fairy tales in front of me, and I wanted to meet Prince Charming. I was playing around with the pendant, it popped open, and wham-bam, there I was!"

Richard's eyes widened, and he sat back in his chair. "You must have been so excited!" he exclaimed.

"Actually, Richard, I was pretty scared. I didn't know what had happened or where I was. But when I watched a handsome man come riding up on a white horse, I had the first idea that maybe I was dreaming. But, a few months later, when I was brave enough to want to go into another book, I started to figure things out."

Chloe laughed a little. "So, by the time I was nine years old, I had been through every book in my library. I made it a habit to go into every book I read, and I still do."

"Whoa," was all Richard could say.

"So…" Chloe began again, "I'm surprised, and I am not, to see that there is someone else who can go into books."

"Mr. Dewey gave the compass to me," Richard said. "He never said why he did, just that I would have a lot more fun reading with it."

Chloe grinned. "Well, he wasn't lying to you."

Richard couldn't bring himself to smile back. "But, the compass is broken, and we don't know how to fix it."

"Then we'll just have to find out why," Chloe said. "Sooner or later, you and I can ask my grandpa how, since he was the one who gave both our things to us. But, until then, at least we can still use my pendant."

"We?" Richard asked.

"Yes, 'we'," Chloe clarified. "I'm no longer in this alone, because you know that I can go into books. Just like I do to you."

Richard shrugged. "I guess." He looked around, and leaned closer to Chloe. "Okay. It'll be our secret."

"Our secret adventures," Chloe added, holding out her hand. Richard nodded his head, and shook Chloe's hand back.


End file.
